extraordinary disaster || baek kyung

10. knots

Hijack!

Stage Lila and Namjoo sit on a bench, pathetically glum as they sip their ice lattes.

"You know I totally relate to you right now?" Stage Lila sighs.

Namjoo frowns. "No. You like someone?"

Who does Stage Me like? Is this the big reveal?

"It's..." She exhales dramatically. "It's someone you know."

Namjoo chokes. "Someone I know?"

She punches his arm as a group of nosey fan girls stare from the nearest bench.

"Someone I know?" He repeats quietly. "Really?"

Stage Lila groans. "You're making me not want to tell you."

Namjoo purses his lips, munching in contemplation.

"Is it alright for you to like him?"

"No." She looks exasperated. "You need to tell me I'm out of my mind."

Namjoo's eyes widen. "Why?"

Stage Lila frowns. "He likes someone else."

Namjoo tilts his head with confusion. "You really can't tell me who it is?"

How dense are you, Oh Namjoo? It's either you or Dohwa!

Stage Lila hesitates.

Hijack!

Lila looks down at the horrific attire of a long-sleeved pink swimsuit and white swimming shorts. She baulks at the sight of the school swimming pool. 

"Hell no!"

She sprints straight out of there before a single classmate can say anything.

It's the period before lunch time so Lila figures Jinmi will be busy. This means it's the perfect time to hunt down the pink comic book which makes the chef so apprehensive.  Despite flinging herself behind a locker when the music teacher skips down the hall with his Joseon flute, Lila finds herself at her favourite spot in school with relative ease.

"Pink Manhwa, come to mommy." Lila grins, rubbing her hands with readiness.

She races around the bookshelves to look for it, hoping for a gravitating pull towards it like she did with Secret.

"Found you!" She grins as she sets eyes on it. "Trumpet Creeper."

Trumpet Creeper? What's that?

She does what anyone her age would do and searches it on the internet. 

Lila pauses, tilting her head as she recognises the flower. It's on the key ring that Stage Dan Oh gifted Baek Kyung. It's even detailed on the front of Secret.

Then she gasps. It's the same sight as the last time she investigated. Beyond the pink Manhwa lies one of those greenish-black sparkling portals. A smaller version of the one Lila fell through into this world. Lila's body feels an indescribable pull towards the mysterious phenomena, her hand inching closer and closer as she hears voices getting louder and louder.

Will I be able to go back to my world?

She reaches in.

The light is blinding, and heat scorches her skin. With a scream, Lila yanks her hand from the portal, panting and clutching her head due to the agonising onslaught of images.